X mangave plant named &#39;FOXY LADY&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and unique X Mangave plant named ‘Foxy Lady’ characterized by a compact mound of short, broad, fleshy, heavily-glaucous leaves with centers of silvery-colored with lavender undertones, developing irregular smoky-purple spots and stripes in high ultraviolet light exposure. The variegated creamy-white margin develops spots of purplish-pink and contrasts with the orangish brown sharp tip of the teeth and short, sharp, terminal spines. ‘Foxy Lady’ is suitable for the garden landscape or as a potted plant around the garden or in the home.

Botanical classification: hybrid; x Mangave times Agave.

Variety denomination: ‘Foxy Lady’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6)

No plants of x Mangave ‘Foxy Lady’ have been sold, in this country oranywhere in the world under any name, nor has any disclosure of the newplant been made, more than one year prior the filing date of thisapplication.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct X Mangave hybridplant, x Mangave ‘Foxy Lady’ discovered by the inventor at a wholesaleperennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA as a whole plant mutation foundin a batch of tissue culture propagated plantlets of x Mangave ‘SilverFox’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,642. The mutation was discovered on Feb. 18,2018. Through trials at the same nursery the plant was originallyassigned the code 18-SP-MANG-640 until ultimately assigned the newcultivar name. The new plant has been successfully asexually propagatedinitially by division at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. Removal ofbasal offshoots and sterile shoot tip tissue culture have been found toproduce stable and identical plants that maintain all the uniquecharacteristics of the original plant.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

X Mangave ‘Foxy Lady’ differs from its parents as well as all otherManfreda, Agave and x Mangave known to the applicant. Compared with thesport parent the foliage of the new plant has a broad creamy margin. Themost similar non-variegated x Mangave known cultivars are: x Mangave‘Catch a Wave’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,723. ‘Purple People Eater’ U.S.Plant Pat. No. and ‘Tooth Fairy’ co-pending U.S. Plant Patent No 29,599.Compared with ‘Catch a Wave’ the new plant has flatter leaves that havea more glaucous blue overtone with a creamy margin. Compared to ‘ToothFairy’ the new plant has more arching leaves with more glaucous blueovertone, and the marginal teeth are more glaucous blue colored and notas large.

The most similar variegated x Mangave known to the inventor are: ‘NavajoPrincess’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,136, ‘Snow Leopard’ U.S. Plant Pat. No.31,137, ‘Kaleidoscope’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,614. ‘Navajo Princess’ haslonger leaves with smaller teeth and green leaf centers. ‘Snow Leopard’has longer and narrower leaves with darker green leaf centers andlighter white margins with much smaller teeth. ‘Kaleidoscope’ has longernarrower leaves with dark green centers and much smaller teeth moreyellowish margins with cherry-red tinting. All of these comparisonvariegated x Mangave have thinner foliage.

The new plant, ‘Foxy Lady’, is unique from all of the above cultivarsand all Agave, X Mangave and Manfreda known to the inventor by thefollowing combined traits:

-   -   1. Compact mound of short, broad, fleshy, heavily glaucous        foliage;    -   2. Foliage center develops light, irregular, smoky-purple spots        with high ultraviolet light exposure frequently-overlapping        throughout upper surface;    -   3. Marginal teeth are large, with the tips short, sharp,        orangish-brown;    -   4. The silvery leaves with lavender undertone have clean        creamy-white margins with pinkish-purple spotting;    -   5. The leaves have teeth imprints from the enrolled developing        foliage;    -   6. Moderate growth rate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photograph of x Mangave ‘Foxy Lady’ demonstrates the overallappearance of the new plant including the unique traits as atwo-year-old plant grown in a container in a greenhouse withsupplemental water and fertilizer as needed. The colors are as accurateas reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum,temperature, source and direction may cause the appearance of minorvariation in color.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the new plant grown in a container withfoliage color, pronounced marginal teeth and apical spines andcreamy-white variegation with pinkish-purple spotting.

FIG. 2 shows a view from above of the new plant with irregular purplespotting and large marginal teeth, teeth imprints and creamy-whitevariegation with pinkish-purple spotting.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. The new plant, X Mangave ‘Foxy Lady’,has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype mayvary slightly with different environmental conditions, such astemperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but withoutany change in the genotype. The following observations and sizedescriptions are of a two-year old plant in a commercial wholesalegreenhouse in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer asneeded.

-   Parentage: Whole plant mutation of x Mangave ‘Silver Fox’;-   Propagation: Removal of basal offshoots and sterile shoot tip tissue    culture;-   Time to initiate roots from tissue culture: About 21 days;-   Growth rate: Moderate; faster than typical agave;-   Crop time: About 14 to 18 weeks to finish in a 3.8 liter container    from a 35 mm tissue culture growing at about 24° C.;-   Rooting habit: Fleshy, lightly branching, with roots up to 30.0 cm    long;-   Root color: Nearest RHS 158C;-   Plant shape and habit: Succulent herbaceous perennial with basal    rosettes of about 50 leaves radially emerging outwardly from central    stem, producing a radially-symmetrical, rounded mound;-   Plant size: Foliage height about 20.0 cm tall from soil line to the    top of the leaves and about 38.0 cm wide at the widest point    slightly below soil line in container;-   Foliage description: Lanceolate; arcuate distally; simple; margins    coarsely dentate with short stiff spines, thick and fleshy; asperous    adaxial and abaxial; teeth about 4.0 mm long and spaced average of    about 4.0 mm to 6.0 mm apart; apex acute with terminal spine about    6.0 mm long; base truncate and slightly attenuate; sessile; slightly    longitudinally conduplicate; bi-laterally symmetrical; with    irregular purple spots and stripes; about 38 leaves per plant;-   Leaf size: To about 20.0 cm long, about 5.0 cm wide approximately    two-thirds toward apex and about 10.0 mm thick at middle base;    average about 18.0 cm long, 4.2 cm wide and 9.0 mm thick; creamy    variegated margin to about 12.0 mm wide, average about 10.0 mm;-   Foliage fragrance: None observed;-   Leaf blade color:    -   -   Adaxial (young).—Nearest blend between RHS 189B and RHS            191B, with irregular spots and stripes intensifying with            ultraviolet light exposure to nearest blend of RHS N186C and            RHS N187B, variegated margin nearest RHS NN155B with            irregular spots and blotches of nearest RHS 186C; Abaxial            (young): nearest blend between RHS 189B and RHS 191B without            noticeable spots in center portion, margin nearest RHS            NN155B with irregular spots and blotches between RHS 186C            and RHS 186D;        -   Adaxial (mature).—Blend between RHS 188B and RHS 191B with            spots and stripes intensifying with ultraviolet light            exposure nearest blend between RHS N187A and RHS 187A, with            margin of nearest RHS NN155C also having irregular spots and            blotches nearest RHS 186C; Abaxial (mature): nearest RHS            189C without noticeable spots in center portion, margin            nearest RHS NN155C with irregular spots and blotches of            between RHS 186C and RHS 186D;-   Teeth spine color: Sharp apex nearest RHS 200B and 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm    below nearest RHS 175A;-   Apical spine color: Nearest RHS 200B;-   Petiole: Leaves sessile;-   Veins: Parallel; not distinct abaxial or adaxial;-   Inflorescence: Not yet observed;-   Flower description: not yet observed;-   Disease resistance: X Mangave ‘Foxy Lady’ has not been observed to    be resistant to diseases beyond that which is normal for X Mangave,    Agave or Manfreda. The new plant is xeromorphic and survives well    with minimal water once established. The new plant is hardy at least    in USDA zone 10. Full extent of winter hardiness has not been    tested.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental X Mangaveplant named ‘Foxy Lady’ as herein described and illustrated.